street art tour copenhagen

Copenhagen Street Art and Graffiti guide

For those who are curious about street art and graffiti in Copenhagen city. We have prepared two different guides. The first one will take a place in turbulent Nørrebro district with the gemstone Bolsjefabrikken, as a starting point.

The second tour will invite you to walk in the contrastful and controversial Vesterbro district among Istedgade, Vesterbrogade and other streets and will end up in Graffiti photography exhibition in Øksnehallen.

See our two graffiti and street art guides here

Or a Guided Street Art bike-tour in Copenhagen with our explorer

Meeting of Styles Copenhagen is just one weekend every year, so what if you’re in Copenhagen and you still want to have a look behind the Danish Street Art scenes?

Fear not, we got you covered! Why not take a ride through the city on a bike, in the most bikable city in the world? Guided by the amazing French Urban planner, Urban Explorer and Graffiti enthusiast, Francois Debains.

He’s doing his tours both spring, summer and fall so no matter when you’re visiting, there’s a chance to catch this amazing opportunity.

Modern Urban Spaces

Bolsjefabrikken, unique graffiti and street art spots.

  Photos by the amazing @gabochakal

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Copenhagen Street Art and Graffiti guide

For those who are curious about street art and graffiti in Copenhagen city. We have prepared two different guides. The first one will take a place in turbulent Nørrebro district with the gemstone Bolsjefabrikken, as a starting point.

The second tour will invite you to walk in the contrastful and controversial Vesterbro district among Istedgade, Vesterbrogade and other streets and will end up in Graffiti photography exhibition in Øksnehallen.

See our two graffiti and street art guides here

Guided street art bike-tours in copenhagen.

Meeting of Styles Copenhagen is just one weekend every year, so what if you’re in Copenhagen and you still want to have a look behind the Danish Street Art scenes?

Fear not, we got you covered! Why not take a ride through the city on a bike, in the most bikable city in the world? Guided by the amazing French Urban planner, Urban Explorer and Graffiti enthusiast, Francois Debains.

He’s doing his tours both spring, summer and fall so no matter when you’re visiting, there’s a chance to catch this amazing opportunity.

Photos by by the amazing @gabochakal

Freetown Christiania Copenhagen: The Ultimate Guide to Plan Your Visit

Posted on March 28, 2022

Categories Art , Blog , Cultural Travel , Denmark , Europe

Have you ever heard of Freetown Christiania? If you love quirky places, alternative lifestyles, street art, or anything off the beaten path, you need visit when you travel to Copenhagen . Ever since I learned of Freetown Christiania in Copenhagen, I knew that I had to visit.

Freetown Christiania is located in the heart of Copenhagen. It has such an intriguing history and it’s really unlike any other place in the world. Furthermore, it’s just so quirky, colourful, and even a bit alarming. You really only need to carve out about an hour to wander around, and you can always stay a little longer for lunch if you’d like.

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Table of Contents

What is Freetown Christiania?

Christiania is a self-proclaimed autonomous district in the borough of Christianshavn. It is an anarchist community on the site of a former military barracks, right in the middle of Copenhagen.

The Christiania residents follow counter-cultural beliefs based in the hippie movement, anarchism, the squatter movement, and collectivism. They fly their own flag, have their own currency, and sing their own anthem.

They don’t consider themselves part of Copenhagen, Denmark, or the European Union. Those living in Christiania don’t pay taxes. In recent years, approximately 900 people live in the commune, with even second or third generations of families growing up there.

A Brief History of Christiania

In the 1970s, homeless people started to live in the empty buildings of the abandoned military base. This was partially as a protest to the Danish government and also because there was a significant lack of affordable housing in Copenhagen.

In 1971, Christiania was officially established, as declared by Danish journalist, Jacob Ludvigsen. He wrote an article announcing the official proclamation of this new free town. He was also the co-author of Christiania’s mission statement:

The objective of Christiania is to create a self-governing society whereby each and every individual holds themselves responsible over the wellbeing of the entire community. Our society is to be economically self-sustaining and, as such, our aspiration is to be steadfast in our conviction that psychological and physical destitution can be averted.

What are the rules of Christiania?

Freetown Christiania is a free state that makes its own rules of governance. There aren’t many rules and laws in Christiania, except for a few key ones to note.

First, Freetown Christiania is a community free of violence. There are no guns, knives, or bulletproof vests. Also banned from the community: bikers’ colours, hard drugs, and stealing of any kind.

Don’t run in Christiania. Running promotes panic and fear. The residents won’t know if you are running from someone or something.

Christiania is a car-free zone. There’s a popular place to rent bicycles with carts on the back of them. Everyone I saw there either walked or rode a bike. It certainly keeps with the green and environmentally-friendly beliefs of the commune.

It used to be a rule that visitors could not take any photographs within Freetown Christiania. However, the rules are a little more relaxed now. Feel free to snap a few pictures, as long as you’re being sensitive about it. Don’t photograph any people without their permission. Take a few photos here and there, but don’t use this as a backdrop to elaborate photo or video shoots.

The Green Light District

The Green Light District, also known as Pusher Street, is the famous street in Freetown Christiania that used to be the centre of the drug trade in Copenhagen. However, the Green Light District is much different than it used to be. There used to be permanent stalls set up along this street for the cannabis trade. Then, there were numerous police raids of the community, over and over again.

It wouldn’t take long for the drug dealers to resurface after the raids. But, there are no longer permanent stalls. You will hear the odd hushed voice asking if you’d like to buy drugs. But, it is no longer encouraged in Freetown Christiania. After all, cannabis is illegal in Denmark and Copenhagen, and those within this hippie commune want to keep their community safe.

When I visited Freetown Christiania Copenhagen, you could take photographs everywhere except Pusher Street. This was unfortunate because some of the best street art was along this stretch, but I didn’t want to disturb anyone or violate the rules of the commmunity.

Nowadays, you can take photographs everywhere, just as long as you are respectful about it. Don’t use it as a backdrop for your selfies or take involved Instagram photoshoots here. If there are any temporary tables with drug deals happening, it makes sense to not take pictures of the drug dealers. Otherwise, you’re good to go.

There’s now a sign installed on Pusher Street that asks that people do not purchase drugs in the Green Light District. The residents really want to keep the community safe and free of future violence or police raids. Please be respectful and do not purchase any drugs here.

The Vibrant Street Art of Freetown Christiania

Freetown Christiania is a paradise for lovers of street art. Bright and colourful paintings covered nearly every wall or surface. Keeping with a no-waste attitude, many works of art are created from reused materials.

Nothing in Christiania is wasted, even if it isn’t as attractive. Old tree stumps are left to rot as they can attract certain insects and birds, leaving a positive impact on the ecosystem.

Even if all you do in Christiania is walk around and appreciate the street art, it’s well worth the trip. People who live in Christianshavn often decorate their homes with all sorts of creative knick-knacks and colourful decor.

A Self-Guided Tour of Freetown Christiania

I wandered around the alternative community of Freetown Christiania early on a Sunday morning, around 10:00am. The main entrance features totem poles welcoming you to the commune.

On this brisk, March day, there really weren’t many other people around. I walked the streets on my own, seeing a random person or roaming dog on occasion. It was very peaceful and quiet.

I didn’t see any drugs for sale on Pusher Street, though I did see a few men setting up their stalls. The Green Light District was most likely much more action-packed later in the day.

I had an eerie feeling from time to time as I explored by myself. Christiania almost has a post-apocalyptic atmosphere in certain spaces. Muddy paths, crumbling structures, and messages spray painted onto plywood gave off unsettling vibes. With that said, I felt perfectly safe wandering around on my own.

When to Visit Christiania and My Experiences

You can visit Freetown Christiania anytime. It was very quiet and relaxed on a Sunday morning. If you’re looking for a busier or more bustling atmosphere, I suggest going there later in the day.

I’ve heard that the residents are super friendly and kind, but I didn’t see very many people around on a Sunday morning. Some people like to keep to themselves, but it is possible to strike up a conversation with some of the local residents for an inside perspective of life in Christiania.

If you’re seeking more energy and activity, I suggest visiting in the afternoon. However, Christiania is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Copenhagen and more crowded later in the day. There are also music venues, art galleries, and skate parks in Freetown Christiania that you can experience as well.

Sadly, the fact that the Freetown Christiania commune has become a tourist attraction and has become more gentrified over the years has caused many original residents to move away. It’s become a really popular destination, and I can see exactly why. It’s just so unique and interesting. Please keep in mind that this is a residential area and not a tourist’s playground. Be respectful when you visit.

How to Take a Guided Tour of Freetown Christiania

If you would rather take a walking tour of Freetown Christiania Copenhagen, you can easily book one in advance. While it is easy to wander around on your own, a tour guide can provide additional insights from a local. You’re likely to learn many more interesting stories, history, and information than walking around on your own.

This walking tour is 1.5 hours long and you’ll learn all kinds of stories along the way. Please note that walking tours inside the gates of Freetown Christiania are not permitted. You’ll walk from Nyhavn towards Christianshavn, learning all of the details, history and stories. The walking tour stops at the gates of Freetown Christiania where you can freely go after the tour and explore on your own. Book your guided tour here.

Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants

Keeping with the green and natural lifestyle, Freetown Christiania has lots of vegan and vegetarian food for such a tiny community. There are a couple of vegetarian restaurants in Freetown Christiania that cater to vegans, too.

Morgenstedet is a vegetarian restaurant in Christiania. The fully organic menu blends various cuisines from around the world as the chefs have different cultural heritages. The prices are reasonable and lower than other dining options in Copenhagen.

Grønsagen is another restaurant in town serving meat and veggie options at their buffet. You pay by how much food you put on your plate. Fresh fruit and vegetables are also available. Looking for more vegetarian and vegan food in Copenhagen? Check out my vegan guide to Copenhagen . And for the coffee lovers, I also have this handy guide to the best Copenhagen cafes .

Christiania Christmas Market

Although I didn’t visit around Christmastime, there is an annual Christmas market in Freetown Christiania. It’s held within Grey Hall, the centre of the community. You can purchase lots of handcrafted items, including Christmas decorations, jewelry, knitwear, cards, and other handmade wares.

You can also watch some of the crafts being made, chat to local artists and artisans, and grab a bite to eat. Of course, you’ll be able to enjoy the full experience of visiting Christianshavn on your visit, like wandering the streets and checking out the street art.

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Getting to Freetown Christiania

I walked to Christiania from my hotel, Wakeup Copenhagen Borgergade . Walk past Nyhavn and across a bridge, and you’re almost there. It’s really easy to walk from Nyhavn to Christianshavn.

Alternatively, you can take the train to Christianshavn Station and it’s a short walk from there. With a Copenhagen City Card , you gain free public transportation. I used the train from one side of the city to the other, and it was great to not have to worry about buying any train tickets throughout my stay. There are so many other perks from buying the Copenhagen City Card , too, and I highly recommend it.

Where to Stay in Copenhagen

I stayed at  Wakeup Copenhagen Borgergade , a modern, no frills hotel in the middle of town. It’s inexpensive (around $100 Canadian a night) and has your basic needs covered: it’s clean, has a modern design, and has the essentials (bed, shower, bathroom, TV, Wi-Fi).

The hotel is right in the centre of it all. You can walk everywhere, and there’s a train station down the street. I took public transit from the airport to the subway stop and walked to the hotel (about an 8 minute walk). It’s the perfect place to stay if you have 3 days in Copenhagen: great price and great location.

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Lauren is the full-time travel blogger and content creator behind Justin Plus Lauren. She started Justin Plus Lauren in 2013 and has travelled to 50+ countries around the world. Lauren is an expert on vegan travel as one of the very first vegan travel bloggers. She also focuses on outdoor adventure travel, eco and sustainable travel, and creating amazing travel itineraries for cities and small towns.

Frank Rebelo

Sunday 22nd of May 2022

I’m writing this as I sit in Cafe Nemoland waiting for out lunch. It’s noon on a Sunday May 22, 22. You’re correct, it is much busier later in the day. The sun is starting to come out and it’s quite busy. Stalls are up and busy. Definitely worth a visit.

Tuesday 24th of May 2022

Thank you for the update! I'm glad you had the chance to visit and enjoyed it. It's a very unique place!

Tuesday 5th of June 2018

Such a beautiful town, love the street art.

EXPERIENCE STREET ART

Walk through Nørrebro

Tour available at any time of the week, depending on the availability of our guides. Contact us !

INFORMATIONS

• Walking tour
• 100 euros/ family. minimum 2 families . Max. 8 pax per tour
• Every Saturday at 11 AM (or in private on request)

Street Art experience (minimum age: 8 years old)

Walking aimlessly to discover a city is certainly not a very attractive activity for many pre-teens, which is why we have imagined a route specially designed for them. This tour is an opportunity to approach Copenhagen differently by immersing yourself in the discovery of street art. Your teenagers will have a better understanding of the richness and diversity of this very lively district of Nørrebro, multi-ethnic, multicultural and still too little explored. The guide, a graffiti artist himself, will offer them a very atypical urban stroll.

After a short introduction to the history of graffiti, tags, throw-ups and stencils will have no secrets for them! From large murals to more discreet works of art, your guide will tell you all about this community of people that developed in the 80s, their codes and ways of living. Many graffiti artists are now considered artists in their own right.

The itinerary changes according to the rhythm of the graffiti. We guarantee you a different route for each participant!

At the end of the tour, you will have the chance to end this experience by tagging on the largest wall in the city.

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Your cool guide to Copenhagen

Discover new micro breweries in vibrant areas of the city

Cph:cool is a new way to experience copenhagen, a ride through copenhagen with the new city circle, discover our cool guided tours in copenhagen, enjoy the urban atmosphere of copenhagen, explore the green capital - join us on a bike ride, creative vibes in copenhagen's industrial wasteland, a bike ride through structures, scales and colours, cool private guided tours in copenhagen.

The Cph:cool concept was launched in 2005. We offer an alternative way to experience contemporary Copenhagen: Touring Copenhagen with us is like visiting a knowledgeable, local friend, who shows you exciting and authentic areas of the city by foot, with the tube or by bike. Come join our cool, private guided tours about the local life, architecture, design, fashion, urbanism, gastronomy, shopping, green solutions, cafés and much more. Or what about a quiz tour for your next business outing?

Carlsberg City and The Railway District

Ørestad:futuristic

Cph:2100 and Nordhavn

Cph:NV – Nordvest

Cph:Refshaleøen

M3 – The City Circle

2 countries:1 day

Cph:industrial beauty on Bryggen

Cph:green bike tour

Cph:beertasting

Cph:north – Cool Nørrebro

Urban cool:vesterbro

Shop-o-rama

Cph:quiz tour

Cph:gastro – a bite of Copenhagen

Cph:biketour

Andreas Bjørns Gade 10 1428 CPH K- DK [email protected] CVR: 35094644

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Free Copenhagen Alternative Street Art Tour

Explore Copenhagen through a Different Lens

Why Tour with Us

• Diverse Destinations:  When it comes to our tours we meticulously pick out the best destinations in the city. Don’t expect an ordinary tour with us, expect something unique.
• Unbeatable Prices:  Our prices are the most unbeatable prices you can trust. We bring you a blissful unforgettable experience even money cannot buy.
• Passionate Tour Guide: Our Tour guides love what they do, and they are never fazed by questions, so please ask away! They are always excited to answer.
• Scenic Sights: When traveling, scenic sights are a must that even we cannot compromise.
• Fast Booking:  Use our app or easy-to-navigate website to book your preferred tour at your own convenience.
• Instant Support:  Feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have. We love to put your mind at ease.

Perfect for:

• Avid explorers and Lovers of Art
• Backpackers

Spend your short time in Copenhagen  the right way…

Our  Free Original Copenhagen Alternative Street Art Tour  of is an invitation to explore the city. The romanesque buildings and colorful structures by the river are not the only precious things in the city, the streets cannot be relegated when it comes to art. From local music expressions to wall graffitis, if you don’t go on a street art tour with us then you haven’t experienced this city to the fullest.

The Free Copenhagen Alternative Street Art Tour we offer provides you every opportunity to explore this beautiful city’s rich artistic heritage and much more.

PS: If you’re looking to find out about where you can chill with some live music, dance the night away in a great club, and eat the city’s special cuisine then we’ve got you covered.

For a more vibrant experience, tag along for our Free Copenhagen Pub Crawl across the city and experience the nightlife like you never have before.

N.B.: The tour may take one of the several routes through the city depending on the guide, the needs of the group, and the weather on the day.

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a travel blog by renata green

Best Street Art in COPENHAGEN: The Open Air Gable Gallery in Nordvest

Posted on 2023-08-12 2023-08-13 Author Renata 2 Comments

Copenhagen is an amazing mix: There are waters and greeneries, romantic castles and quirky neighborhoods, the world’s oldest amusement park and exciting contemporary art, luxurious restaurants and communal eateries. Obviously, there is also urban art, and some of the best street art in Copenhagen can be found in the city’s least touristy, residential area of Nordvest.

In this post, I’m guiding you to the murals that were created on the walls alongside Møntmestervej and Rentemestervej. So tie your trainers, polish your camera’s lens, and just follow me.

The phenomenon of street art, hence, of writing, drawing, and painting on walls is not a modern thing. As a matter of fact, it goes way back to the cavemen, to the era of the Pyramids in Giza, as well as the Roman Empire.

However, in many cities around the world, the modern-day’s graffiti movement started in the 1960s as a claim of urban territory by gangs but also as a response to political and social injustice. Graffiti developed from the so-called tagging, hence writing names’n’slogans in a more or less artsy way, to painting beautiful murals that transform neighborhoods in open air-galleries.

Although I’d argue that Copenhagen is not the urban art capital of the world, you’ll spot artistic murals all over the city. I was very impressed when I learned that some of the works date back to the early 1990s. Yet, they are still in good condition, and no self-proclaimed street artist smeared his tag across a true piece of art. Sadly, you won’t find this kind of respect in every city.

As in other cities, too, in Copenhagen, urban art is also used to upgrade rather dull neighborhoods. This is where the Open Air Gable Gallery in Nordvest comes in.

Nordvest is a multicultural neighborhood in the – you probably guessed so – northwest of the city center. It’s actually not that far out, but since Copenhagen’s center is quite small, you have the feeling of venturing to the outskirts. Albeit, you’ll get there in about twenty minutes by bicycle or public transport.

Howsoever, only a few visitors venture out to Nordvest which is a big mistake if you want to experience a truly local vibe. Although there are not that many of what you would consider landmarks in Nordvest, there is the absolutely jaw-dropping Grundtvig’s Church.

Also, on your way to Nordvest, you should make a stop at Denmark’s best-known cemetery Assistens . It is the final resting place of many famous Danes like poet Hans Christian Andersen, philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, and physicist Niels Bohr.

It’s a great place to visit, to take a stroll or cycle. What’s a bit irritating, though, is that Danish families are even enjoying picnics between the graves.

Open Air Gable Gallery in Nordvest

Jens-Peter Brask is a passionate art collector, curator, and publicist. In Nordvest, he curated 16 murals on gables alongside the housing project Andelsforeningen AB Mønten located between Møntmestervej and Rentemestervej. The gables were painted between 2017 and 2019 and are Scandinavia’s largest open-air gallery.

As a young man, Jens-Peter Brask was part of the graffiti movement himself. Urban art in Berlin and Miami inspired him to initiate the gable project in the Nodvest. After all, in those cities, underrated neighborhoods like Schöneberg and Wynwood became tourist attractions after muralists had embellished their walls. In my blog, I’ve introduced similar projects for instance in Aruba , Amsterdam , and Málaga . Urban art improves the quality of life around the globe.

The artists were absolutely free during the entire creative process. Several of them are rooted in the street art sphere. However, interestingly, most participants are mainly known for classic art forms such as painting and drawing on canvas and on paper and not so much on walls. This is a truly unique aspect and I can only assume it was this outstanding project that motivated them to take their talent to the street.

The Artists

In this post, I’m introducing the artists who participated in the street art project Open Air Gable Gallery in Nordvest and, obviously, their respective contributions. As always, I’ve added a list of the Instagram accounts of all artists featured in this post. This way, you can learn more about them and enjoy additional pieces straight from your lazy chair.

I’m presenting all the façades of the house blocks facing Møntmestervej from east to west. Then, I walk you down Rentemestervej in the opposite direction.

DABSMYLA are an Australian couple; a real couple as in husband and wife. They work together as visual artists. The right perspective plays a major role in DABSMYLA’s work. The onlooker basically zooms in to spot an element which is a segment of a larger image.

Nothing remains random or unplanned in DABSMYLA’s complex creations. They are thoroughly designed and precisely accomplished in a perfectly bold color scope. Their motifs float somewhere between realism and dreamscape and are full of quirky details.

Mason Saltarrelli

Mason Saltarrelli was born in New Orleans in 1979. Already at the tender age of twelve, he started to portray jazz musicians. He later moved to New York where he currently resides in Brooklyn. 

Saltarrelli lays out his work intuitively according to tribal as well as his individual symbology. He paints his pure and simple shapes in oil, gouache, graphite, and spray paint. As he paints on canvas, he often leaves the unfinished works outdoors to expose them to the elements. This way, the work’s textures and colors morph in accordance with nature into an individual result.

Saltarrelli’s paintings and works on paper have been presented in many galleries and introduced in various art magazines. I’d argue that the Birddog he painted on the second block on Møntmestervej is his only mural.

Coline Marotta 

Coline Marotta was born in France in 1991. Today, she resides and works in Copenhagen and Marseille.

Marotta’s paintings have a rather soft expressionist appearance. She depicts moments of ease and tranquility, depicting her long-limbed personas in postures of weightlessness and boundless mobility.

Coline Marotta graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 2017. Her work is found in public exhibitions as well as in private collections in London , Hong Kong, New York, and many other places. Despite her international success, Marotta is a novice when it comes to urban art.

Jon Stahn was born in 1969.  In 2006 he graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Whether in his sculptures or in his drawings and paintings: His artistic work bursts of creativity and imagination.

Stahn gets his inspiration from the life around him. Often, he himself is the model for the depiction of the human body in his work. “I would rather expose myself than humiliate others”, says Stahn.

Jon Stahn works according to a concept in which the medium, as well as the material, are only selected once the idea for a project has been established. In this frame, Jon Stahn’s work ranges from painting to graphics, from sculpture to installation and video.

Anders Brinch

Anders Brinch was born in Denmark in 1971 and just like Coline Marotta and Jon Stahn, he graduated from The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, however, that was in 2007.

Brinch creates paintings, sculptures, and installations in colors spanning from light pastel to bold shades. Brinch gets his inspiration from pop culture, cartoons, movies, and theater plays. Then, he creates his ironic and outlandish imaginary cosmos.

Anders Brinch has shown his work in important art venues in Denmark and beyond. The flamingos on Møntmestervej, however, seem to be his first mural.

Aiko Nakagawa aka Lady Aiko or simply AIKO was born in Tokyo in 1975. During her college years, she founded a pirate television station and broadcast her own music videos and short films. 

She moved to New York City in the 1990s where she studied media at the New School University. Also, she apprenticed in Takashi Murakami’s studio in Brooklyn. Although AIKO gets her inspiration largely from New York neighborhoods, her style is deeply rooted in her Japanese heritage and her experience as a Japanese woman.

The topics in AIKO’s work are often linked to romance, but also sexuality and promiscuity. She advocates the power of women and addresses gender inequality and other issues. Her most spectacular project was when she wheat-pasted nude images of herself around the city of New York. As an artist, she appreciates the freedom and spontaneity, but also the challenges that come with using the street as her canvas.

Today, her large-scale murals are found in cities like Rome , Shanghai, and New York.

Timmi Mensah

Timmi Mensah was born in Copenhagen to a Danish mother and an African father in 1970. Like many mix-raced kids, he struggled in finding his identity since he didn’t feel either fully Danish or African.

At the age of 14, he got in contact with the hip-hop scene and began tagging his name on trains. Only one year later, he and his crew, the Lyngby Graffiti Boys , gained major praise after they were broadcasted on national television, painting a large mural.

Mensah went to the Bronx when he was 17 which was a turning point in his life as he immediately clicked with this cultural melting pot. In New York, he also developed his so-called wild style channeling his frustrations and pain into creativity.

After a job with the Nordisk Film company where he was working in the cartoon department, Timmi Mensah also began to paint in oil and acrylic on canvas. Also, to pay bills, he began tattooing which he is doing to this date.

The mural by Timmi Mensah is the cover picture of this post.

Claudia Walde aka MadC was born in Bautzen in the former GDR in 1980. She studied Graphic Design in Halle and in London . In 1998, she began to create murals using spray cans. By now, her urban art is found in more than 35 countries including the Czech Republic, France, Germany , Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Spain , Sweden, and the USA, to name just a few.

Layering in bright colors is Claudia Walde’s preferred technique. She achieves this luminosity by combining spray paint with watercolor and acrylic.

Claudia Walde is a member of various artist groups such as the Franco-German Bandits , the US-American Wallnuts Crew , and the internationally active Stick Up Kids . I’ve introduced the Stuck Up Kids around urban artist CANTWO in my post on the Best Street Art in Hamburg .

HuskMitNavn

HuskMitNavn, which translates to Remember My Name, was born in the Danish town of Taastrup in 1975. Today, he lives and works in Copenhagen. Fans in Denmark and beyond do remember his name for his humorous, but also political and controversial drawings, paintings, and street art.

You’ll find his iconic characters mostly around Copenhagen, but also in other European cities. Also, he illustrates international magazines and newspapers and has published a book. His works are shown in several art museums and collections. As I scrolled through his Instagram, his works truly warmed my heart and put a smile on my face.

Roma Manikhin

Roma Manikhin was born in Moscow in 1977. He shares his experiences and expresses his emotions in the vibrant colors and joyful movements of his paintings and raw wooden sculptures.

Due to his professional background as an illustrator and graphic designer, Manikhin makes use of a broad spectrum of bright colors and paints bold lines’n’shapes. His self-proclaimed mission is to spread joy and offer an escape into a light-hearted universe where all creatures can relish each other’s company.

Roma Manikhin is based in Berlin . His paintings and sculptures are found at the museum Zuzeum in Riga as well as in private collections in Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Turkey, and the USA

Peter Birk was born in Aarhus in 1985. Among the artists who curator Jens-Peter Brask commissioned for this project, Birk is one of the few who actually come from graffiti and street art. Actually, he is one of the leading Danish urban artists.

Birk is mostly known for his unique motifs and his creative approach to colors and compositions. As you can see in this mural depicting wrecked ships, Peter Birk currently focuses mainly on picturing decay.

Mikael Brandrup aka Mikael B or KETS was born in Holbæk in 1984. He studied graphic and web design at the Københavns Tekniske Skole. When he was 15 years old, he began to experiment with graffiti lettering. He practiced by setting up wood panels in his parents’ backyard which he then covered with his graffiti name KETS.

Today, however, Mikael B lives in Los Angeles where he works as a visual artist and graphic designer. Galleries in many European cities as well as in the US have presented his work in exhibitions.

Mikael B creates classic paintings and designs for everyday objects. However, he also is a great muralist.

Claus Michael Pedersen aka CMP ONE is a Danish artist who was born in 1970.

In contrast to many of the other artists who have participated in this project, he is no street art rookie but has been an avid urban artist since the early 80s. CMP ONE is one of the founders of Danish street art and a legend. Also, he is well-known all over the world for his great talent which is reflected in his iconic style.

CMP ONE’s style is rooted in his passion for hip hop from the Bronx and the grungy New York subway with trains covered in graffiti. Although CMP ONE is a master when it comes to large-scale murals, he also paints on canvas and draws with permanent markers in the tradition of the first B-boys.

Jakob Tolstrup

Born in 1983, Jakob Tolstrup is culturally mostly inspired by the 1990s when a group of artists became famous as the YBA which is short for Young British Artists. Apart from the Brits, Tolstrup also took inspiration from Japanese mangas. This way, he portrays his own bizarre cartoons in wildly ingenious paintings. His creations are witty, quirky, and bewildering just like a weird dream.

Today, Jakob Tolstrup resides in Copenhagen as well as Berlin .

Boy Kong was born in Orlando in 1993. He is of Chinese-Vietnamese descent and works as a self-taught multi-media artist. He creates watercolors, paintings, collages, sculptures, and, obviously, murals. His motifs are rooted in Ukiyo-e, surrealism, and graffiti, obviously.

His work has been exhibited in a number of solo and group shows and is included in the corporate collections of Nike, WeWork, and Rag & Bone. His murals were commissioned by various significant institutions.

Today, Boy Kong resides in Orlando and New York City.  

Victor Ash aka Ash was born in Paris in 1968. Today, he resides in  Copenhagen . He began his artistic career as a graffiti writer in the early 1980s. He was part of the Parisian graffiti collective BBC or Badbc.

In 1989, French fashion designer Agnès b. invited Ash, JonOne, and several other graffiti artists to participate in the exhibition Les Peintres de la Ville, hence, City Painters in English. It took place at the Galerie du Jour in the hip’n’trendy neighborhood of Centre National d’art et de Culture Georges-Pompidou. Actually, this was the first time Ash presented his paintings inside a gallery.

To this date, Ash has left his traces in various cities around the world. Especially the murals he created in the German capital Berlin made him a street art legend. However, I introduced him also in my post Street Art in SEVILLE: Arte Para Todos in the San Pablo District as well as in the street art section of my post on Puerto de la Cruz .

There is More

So yes, these are the works that were created within Jens-Peter Brask’s Open Air Gable Gallery Project. Apart from Nordvest, you’ll also find many great murals in the judiciously gentrified district of Vesterbro west of the main station. However, you’ll find amazing urban art basically everywhere in Copenhagen, albeit not at a high density as in cities like Berlin or Paris .

What I highly appreciated about Copenhagen- in contrast to for instance London and most of all Hamburg – is how murals are treated with respect. No so-proclaimed artist is smearing his pointless tag across a highly elaborate work. It’s amazing to see murals that have remained undamaged for over 30 years.

Conor Harrington

One of my favorite murals in Copenhagen is by Conor Harrington who was born in Cork in 1980.  He is known for his large-scale murals in which he combines contemporary and historical references to tackle socio-political themes. 

Conor’s murals have a clear touch of Renaissance art to them as they capture not only the movement and expression perfectly but also express a particular mood in a powerful way. Historic events are often the center of Harrington’s gigantic murals. In Copenhagen, he was one of only six artists who participated in Søren Solkær’s Surface Project in 2015.

I introduced another one of Conor Harrington’s impressive portraits in my post on the Best Street Art in Paris .

Mruta Hashim Bushiri

This piece on Sankelmarksgade is the most special mural in this post, maybe even in all of Copenhagen due to the stories behind it. Mruta Hashim Bushiri from Tanzania painted it in the traditional style developed by Tingatinga in 1991.

Edward Saidi Tingatinga was a Tanzanian painter. The local Tingatinga art movement was named after him. Mruta Hashim Bushiri was a retired police officer in Dar es Salaam and Tingatinga’s cousin. He joined the artist’s students in taking lessons and soon mastered this art brilliantly.

Mruta became a well-known Tingatinga painter himself and after his cousin passed in 1972, he became one of the founders of the Tingatinga Partnership continuing the legacy of teaching students in this technique.

I’m not only impressed by this story but by the fact that Mruta’s mural has been in Copenhagen since 1991 and no self-proclaimed graffiti artist has vandalized it by spraying his pointless tag across it. Man, cities like London and Hamburg have so much to learn when it comes to respecting urban art!

Peter Abelin and Erik Jerichau

Walking down one of Vesterbro’s main streets Halmtorvet, suddenly you spot a building opening to the sky. On a sunny day, you might actually think for a moment that you are looking through an arch.

This absolutely amazing trompe l’oeil was created by Peter Abelin and the graphic artist Erik Jerichau on the pharmaceutical company Nomeco’s building back in 1991.

On Instagram

To dig deeper into the subject and see more of the amazing art the above-featured artists have created, you can just check out their Instagram accounts:

Peter Abelin

Mikael Brandrup

Connor Harrington

Husk Mit Navn

Erik Jerichau

Coline Marotta

Mason Saltarelli

#peterabelin

@ladyaiko_nyc

@victor.ash.studio

@peter_birk

@mikaelbrandrup

@anders_brinch

@conorsaysboom

@huskmitnavn1

#erikjerichau

@colinemarotta

@timmi_oneliner_mensah

@masonsaltarrelli

@jakob.tolstrup

How to Get Around

Although the Nordvest neighborhood is not in the very center, going there by bicycle takes less than half an hour and is therefore highly recommended. This way, you have the freedom of your own mean of transportation and can still move from mural to mural quicker than by walking. Copenhagen  is number one among Europe’s most cycle-friendly cities, hence, you’ll be amazed by the comprehensive network of bicycle lanes!

I assume you won’t bring your own bike. Obviously, this is not a problem since there are many places where you can rent bikes.

Public Transport

The second-best way to explore Copenhagen’s street art is by walking. Since Nordvest is on the outskirts of the very city center, you’ll need to get there by bus or subway. Also, if you want to explore more of Copenhagen’s street art, you probably won’t be able to avoid taking public transportation. Fortunately, as in basically every European city, there is a comprehensive network of public transportation in Copenhagen. The most important means are the metro, trams, and buses.

A single ticket within the city center costs 24 DKK. You can buy tickets from machines as well as at 7-Eleven kiosks at the train and metro stations. If you prefer, you can also buy tickets  online  or download the app called DOT Billetter.

If you are planning on taking public transportation more often, you might want to purchase a so-called City Pass. This pass comes in various versions. You’ll probably need either the City Pass Small or the City Pass Large. Still, you can check out all options  on this website .

While the small version grants unlimited access to buses, trains, metro, and harbor buses in the city center including the airport, the large version also includes all trips to Roskilde and all destinations in Northern Zealand. You can choose either pass for 24, 48, 72, 96, or 120 hours. The costs for the small one ranges from 80 to 300 DKK and the large one sets you back between 160 to 600 DKK.

This map should help you to find the murals I’m introducing in this post. Clicking on the slider symbol at the top left or the full-screen icon at the top right will display the whole map including the legend.

Searching for Street Art was only one of many fun activities on my visit to Copenhagen. To read about the rest,  go to this comprehensive guide  where you’ll find further valuable information that will make your own trip much smoother and more enjoyable. If you have only a short layover in the city, my post  24 hours in Copenhagen has you covered.

Pinnable Pictures

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Best Street Art in PARIS: How Mehdi Ben Cheikh Transformed the 13th Arrondissement Into An Open-Air Gallery

IF WALLS COULD SPEAK: The Best Street Art Project in Amsterdam

2 Replies to “Best Street Art in COPENHAGEN: The Open Air Gable Gallery in Nordvest”

We often find street art when we travel. But I did not capture any on our visit to Copenhagen that stayed in my memory. I was amazed at the number and variety you found. We must have missed the area around Nordvest on our visit. The open air gallery is amazing.

Since I’m sure that most people miss out on Nordvest, I was happy to introduce such an underrated place 🙂

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The Best Street Art in Copenhagen

A crowd-sourced toplist with the best street art in Copenhagen. Edited by "Jay-Jay" Dorsey .

1 Street Art

2 Copenhagen Contemporary

3 Christiania Art Gallery

4 Undergrunden

5 Galleri Kbh Kunst

6 Street Studies - Tunnel gadegalleri

7 Galleri Christoffer Egelund

8 V1 Gallery

9 Edition Copenhagen A/S

10 Wehrmacht Graffiti

11 Etage Projects

12 Galleri KANT

14 YellowKorner Copenhagen

15 Bananna Park

16 Charlottenborg Palace

17 Galleri BOPA

18 Run For Cover

19 Thorvaldsens Museum

20 St Alban's Church

• Copenhagen Centre
• Amager Vest
• Frederiksberg
• Christianshavn
• Islands Brygge
• More neighbourhoods

Help out? Suggest a street art installation that we might have missed.

• George Town
• Mexico City
• San Antonio
• Philadelphia

Welcome to Copenhagen

Let us show you around this awesome place with its street art masterpieces.

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Best of the Best Destinations

For eco-conscious travelers, the below winners stand out for their commitments to sustainability as measured by various inputs from our data partners at Global Destination Sustainability Movement and internal Tripadvisor data points, including destinations where Tripadvisor users were most likely to be found discussing sustainability in positive reviews.

The Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best title celebrates the highest level of excellence in travel. It’s awarded to those who receive a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period. Out of our 8 million listings, fewer than 1% achieve this milestone.

How we created this list of winners.

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Reserve Your Spot with Confidence! Full Refunds with 24 Hrs Notice. Reschedule at any point, even after tour, if space allows!

The Bushwick Collective - A Street Art Gallery

This post explains the Bushwick Collective, NYC's most prolific neighborhood for street art and graffiti.

We'll show you how to reach it with tips for independent travelers.

Check out our pay-what-you-like New York Graffiti and Street Art Tour  (tour video below). 

• How to Get Here
• 5 Tips for Independent Travelers
• Organized Street Art Tour
• Self-Guided Bushwick Tour
• Free Brooklyn Tours
• Free Tours by Foot

HOW TO GET TO THE BUSHWICK COLLECTIVE

The Bushwick Collective is located in Bushwick Brooklyn, just off of Flushing Avenue.  

As the map image below shows, it is approximately a 7-8 minute walk from the nearest train station Jefferson Street (L train).  

We recommend using this Google map to get directions to the Bushwick Collective from anywhere in New York City.  

Be sure to also read our Guide to Navigating the New York Subway System .

While some naysayers may turn down their thumbs and cry out that graffiti and street art is mere vandalism, others feel differently about the artwork gracing the walls in Bushwick.

Come visit and explore the neighborhood where you can learn about some of the local artists such as, Cost, Revs, Enx, Mast, Never, Nekst, 4 Burners plus many more international artists who have traveled across the globe to display their artwork on the walls of Bushwick, Brooklyn.

5 TIPS FOR THOSE VISITING ON THEIR OWN

• Some of the busiest times are after work and weekends, so try to plan your visit for a weekday and earlier in the day.
• There are almost 100 blocks with art in and around the Bushwick Collective area, one can spend the whole day exploring the area.  For the Bushwick Collective, Troutman and St Nicholas area have some of the best art.
• Troutman is a one-way street as well as Starr Street, try to keep out of the middle of the street because drivers may be annoyed or not attentive.
• There is not much shade and the summer gets very hot, so be sure to bring sunscreen, hats, and water.
• Local spots for food are Artichoke Pizza, SeaWolf, Tres Hermanos, Up North, KCBC, there are plenty of other locations.

BUSHWICK STREET ART AND GRAFFITI TOUR

An easy way to reach the Collective and to experience and understand the artwork you will see is to take our pay-what-you-like tour. 

The highlight of the tour is the outdoor street gallery known as the Bushwick Collective , which begins on Jefferson Street and continues on Troutman Street towards Saint Nicholas Avenue.

The accidental curator of the collective is Joseph Ficalora, a Native of Bushwick and Brooklyn.  

In 1991, Joseph’s father, Ignazio Ficalora, was killed on the way home from the family steel fabrication business. He was murdered for a few dollars in his wallet and the gold chain he had around his neck.

At the time Joseph was only twelve years old.  A few years ago, in 2011, Joseph experienced another tragedy, the loss of his mother, who battled a brain tumor for four years.

Joseph is now learning to heal from his years of growing up in a dirty and crime-ridden neighborhood by transforming the neighborhood and the walls of Bushwick into a safe & hip outdoor gallery.

He has learned to wrangle the permits needed to legally display hundred of artist’s work.

There is so much artwork to see you won’t be able to stop talking about it for days to come.

On the tour, we feature artists such as Sheryo & Yok who specialize in gnarly gargoyle-type characters. You will also get to see artists:

• Icy & Sot
• Blek le rat who was one of the first graffiti artists in Paris and has been described as the father of stencil graffiti.  

We end the tour at the gorgeous image of a church on the corner of St. Nicholas and Troutman. Beau Stanton, who combines classical oil paintings with intricate patterns, painted the magnificent mural.

He is originally from Southern California where he studied Illustration, drawing, and painting.

He relocated in 2008 to New York after he graduated and he now lives and works in Red Hook, Brooklyn.  Learn more about the tour .

The artwork is literally burning off the walls in Bushwick, however, if the wall to wall artwork isn’t enough for you to look at then you will certainly be intrigued by the personal style of Bushwick’s residents.

It’s hipster heaven in Bushwick, so when you finish your tour, be sure to stick around and check out some of the local hot spots.

We suggest doing some vintage shopping at Vice Versa and then going to dinner at the notorious Roberta’s pizza or a local favorite NorthEast Kingdom where they serve a contemporary American menu emphasizing the seasonality of the NorthEast.

Looking forward to having you join us! 

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About The Author

Stephen Pickhardt

North america, united kingdom & ireland, middle east & india, asia & oceania.